Distribution Automatique

Monday, May 16

Art and Friends On A Serendipitous Sunday

Naps and strolls in Prospect Park on that lovely sunny Saturday (remember?)prepared us well for the rigors of an art-filled Sunday in Queens. If you haven'tbeen out there lately, you must go soon! We began the day with a visit to our friendJean's gorgeous new studio-Saturday was open studio day in this sunny, beautifully designed collection of studios at Jevenal Reis Studios- 43-01 22cd Street(E or V train to 23rd St./Ely Ave.#7 to 45th Road/Courthouse SquareG to Court Square)(you take the same train to get to MOMA's PS 1but after leaving the subway walk the opposite direction to get to Jeval Reis Studios)-walk north on 23rd Street (under the traintracks) make a left on 44th Avenueand right on 22 Street

In addition to work similar to the work you may view by clicking above,Jean Foos has some exciting new work that includes printed fashion photoswhich she has appropriated and painted over in her signature style.You must see these witty and elegant works; I hope she posts them on her site soon. Even better, we would loveto see them in a gallery & we wouldn't be at all suprised if a clevercurator saw this show and scooped them up!

From there we walked over to an opening at the Sculpture Centerfor the grand opening of the Sculpture Center's new show*Make It Now* a title with some double-edged meanings I thoughtabout a bit as we walked through this relatively recent site for new sculpture.28 artists are shown here. The first floor is well worth the visit, even if only tosee the space if you haven't been here before. I should have been preparedfor the many synchroncities tha occurred on this Queens visit when Irealized that my favorite work in this show was by Charlie Foos!This was a video he titled "Monument with Anthem". Probably it is the artistwho is sitting on a coin operated rocking horse in front of fairly delapidatedstorefront. He is holding what is very likely a plastic or cardboard shield andlance; an ancient cassette player sits on a pedestal playing Wagner's Sigfried Idyllover and over- the tape skips and slows and speeds; the artist stares somewhatglumly into the camera, while again and again he puts coins into the box sothat he can keep that wooden horse rocking. This work attraced me becausein addition to participating in the current plethora of works of art reflectingand celebrating childhood (contemporary artists seemed determine to keeptheir connection with their imaginations clear by holding on securely to thosefleeting freedoms -of thought and dream-of early life) this artist found a wayto gently laugh at himself and this trend towards cheap and simple materials,toys and structures based on childhood pleasures. As I walked through theshow I marvelled at the almost total triumph of the artistic credos of suchcontemporary giants as Richard Tuttle- whose philosophy of using inexpensivematerials in spontaneous and direct ways seems to now be pervasive amongyounger artists- easily eclipsing the sculptural requirements of other ages demandingsuch materials as marble, bronze and gleaming metals. The only exception tothis rule I have noted is in works like those of Timothy Hawkinson which requireextensive construction and use of electronic or electric machinery and gadgetry;still, often in the case even of this work, artists like Charlie Foos stick to foundor discarded gadgets.

As we left the Sculpture Center lucky for us we ran into our friends, the poetand art critic Connie Robins and her husband the sculptor Sal Romano.Sal is known for his large sculptural installations employing metal constructionsand water. Recently at a visit to his studio I marvelled at a -for him- tiny workwhich combined figurative and abstract elements, including a fish and triangles.Sal and Connie decided to join us for a bit on our second visit to the giantGreater New York 2005 show discussed below. On the way in we noticed thata number of artists were carrying out large frames containing obviously recently rippedpaper with calligraphic type designs. As we entered the museum we ran into ourfriend Jay Sanders, one of the curatorial assistants at the Maryann Boesky Gallery.He and I chatted a bit about the current Sarah Sze show at Boesky (see sidebar)and the fact that these ripped frames were used by a dance friend of his for a performance that was ending at the very moment we walked in! Jay helpedCharles Bernstein curate the Poetry Plastique show we had the good fortuneto be part of in February 2001.

On this vist I remembered a number of works I saw the first time around andreally enjoyed. Sal also pointed out a couple that I had missed! Among thesewas a hilarious peformance installation by Jamie Isenstein. Sal called meover to an inset frame hung on the wall with what appeared to be a plastic or molded hand inside. Sal said "Wait and watch." After a few momentsthe hand moved! Then after awhile it moved again! We all discussed whether itwas real and hesitated awhile and then touched it. Surely this was the living handof a woman- obviously the artist. Hurrying over to the wall label I noticed it said"2003 Performance Installation with picture frame, picture light and hand- or "Will Return"sign." Ha-ha! What a piece. When we visited the neighboring room we saw the doorwhere the artist could be let in to sit. Sal wondered what she might be doing in there- watching videos- drinking a coke- who knows? In another room Sal pointedout a piece I had walked right by last week without noticing and walked right byagain on Sunday. Karyn Oliver has installed a false vertical column right next toa real horizontal column on the ceiling of this gallery room. The column sits on topof an antique brown wooden coffee table right in the center of the room. Moreartistic hijinx and hilarity- excellent! Another double-take type work that I noticedon the first visit but forgot take notes on is Courtney Smith's marvelous "PsycheComplexo" (2003) owned by the artist and Roebling Hall. This impressive worklists the following constituants: I wardrobe, 1 vanity with mirror, 1 stool with cushion,2 side tables with mirrors, and new chrome plated hardware. In this piece, the furnitureis split in two and rehinged together creating a mysterious and claustrophobic effect,indeed capable of well representing complex psychological states, redolant with associations and "remembrance of things past." Another visit toAida Rulova's DVD projection with sound installation "It had no feelings" (2003)convinced both Toni and I that this was among the best works. The altered voicetrack repeats a story of what must have been a psychological trauma, repeatedagain and again- the visual part shows faces hidden in light and the repeatedphrase "a bag over my head" suggests a terrifying experience. This is a must see andhear! A return visit to Anna Conway's startling painting discussed and linked tobelow revealed two tiny rowboats near the huge puppet head floating in the ocean.We liked the painting on this visit even more. The DVD concerning the violinist mentionedbelow was by King/Diaz de Leon and was filmed in digital video 2003-2004. We watchedthe entire approximately 8 minute piece through in its entirety again! Two morepaintings definitely worth checking out: Wade Guyton's {click here}"untitled" 2005- a strikingconstructivist style painting -inkjet on printed linen 39'x 37" and Lisi Raskin's "InThe Town Where I Was Born" (2004- Guild and Grayshkul Gallery)- a room fullof computer and electronic gadgetry is depicted mostly in bright yellows usingcrayons and colored markers, another of the many memorable worksin this show echoing and recalling childhood. Another of the many excellent projected DVD's in this show that must be mentioned is Nebojsa Seric Shoba'seerie "Let There Be Light" depicting computer animations looking very much likethe creation of the world via mud slides. On the second floor don't forget to seeand listen to David Moreno's subtle 2004 electronic music in his work "Steremo*. Thepiece is beautifully placed in front of a window with view of the sky and an oldadjacent brick building. The speakers, mounted on bending metal supports,wave and bob as the music emerges giving the impression that you can physicallysee the sounds. This is a theme in a good number of the pieces in thisshow- various types of synesthesia. Throughout this show there are many piecesplaced so that you might discover them in surprising ways in this enormousspace with so many windows, corners, and stairways. Bethany Bristow's aptly named "Insinutate" i(2005) is constructed of multiple site specific materialsincluding melted glass, feathers and corn syrup is placed inconspicuously ona gallery window ledge in a hallway on the second floor. And, as we were leavingthe show I noticed again and remembered being stuck by on the first visit, outside the gallery on a large ledge in front of a window, Bozidar Brazda's surprisingand frightening piece made out of a dummy lying down on the ledge and a parachutelying nearby, blowing open and closing probably by means of a wind machine placed nearby- this work suggested to me the breathless excitements- and severe risks-of the artist who must jump into the unknown to achieve his or her discoveries-and who, like all of us, must someday return to the ground beneath their feet aftertheir extravagant flights into the stratosphere of the imagination.

After this we headed downtown to our favorite restaurant the Orlin Cafeon East 8th Street. And who walks by after a bit? Two poet friends, MikeScharf and Drew Gardner, We talked about the show (Drew decidedhe did not want to read these notes before seeing ths show). We hada chance to chat with Drew about movies, his workshop at the Poetry Project and the fact that he is now working on putting together a CD(hopefully to be heard soon on My Vocabulary) of my reading at the BPC withLee Anne Brown and Ange Mlinko and Drew's Poetics Orchestra. Thiswas indeed a serendipitous ending to our Sunday of Art- serendipitywhich extended to quickly catching the Q home to Park Slope sowe could grab a quick bite and as quickly crash into bed exhausted. Strangely, I dreamtof a strikingly actual Paul Auster giving me advice about publishers!